


Crossed Paths

by pragmatist



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 04:37:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pragmatist/pseuds/pragmatist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's William and Lizzie's first month 'anniversary,' but they are separated by miles, by time.  Will they find a way to celebrate together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. apart

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on the next chapters for my multi-chap and my series, but it’s been slow-going. I seem to have a severe case of dunderheadedness this week. Mushy brain.  
> So, because I wanted to write, but can’t unkink the snaggles in my other chapters, I thought I’d write something short and fluffy. This story DOES NOT fit into my Not-Yet-verse.

April 17, 2013, falls on a Wednesday.  William Darcy awakens that morning in San Antonio, and reaches for his phone.  He already knows what today is, knows exactly what he will read when he opens his calendar, but he wants to see the words.  **_One month with Lizzie_** , the notification announces, and he smiles. 

One month.  William has never been happier than he has been in the 31 days that have passed since Lizzie kissed him.  He thinks back to the person he was on the morning of March 17, nervous, desolate, tentatively hopeful, and he scarcely remembers that man.   He feels shattered, then rebuilt, by being with Lizzie, loving Lizzie, knowing that she loves him in return.

His phone beeps, alerting him that he has one hour until his first meeting of the day.  Due to the earlier time zone, William does not plan to call Lizzie before starting work.  He considers texting, but fears waking her up when her phone signals.  He sighs as he propels his body out of bed and directs it towards a hot shower.  _Or maybe a cold one_ , he muses, and wonders how uncouth it would be to sit in his rental car and talk to Lizzie, rather than going out to lunch with his investors.

That is a choice that he doesn’t have to make, since there is a text from Lizzie blinking at him when he exits the shower – _I’m up already, call whenever_.  As his face splits into a grin and he scrolls to her phone number, another text pops up – _Happy Monthversary!  Silly, I know…_

She picks up during the first ring.  “That was quick.”

“Not silly.  I was thinking the same thing.”

“I can’t believe it’s been a month already.  It feels like it all just happened… but then it also feels like we’ve always been together like this,” Lizzie rambles.

He is afraid of overwhelming her, so he holds back from saying, _I hope we are always together like this_ , and _I look forward to one year, one decade, five decades with you…_   He settles for, “I wish we were together today; I mean, physically, in the same place.  I’d like to take you out to celebrate.”

He sets the phone on his night stand and turns on the speaker.  Lizzie hears the rustle of clothing as he gets dressed, and she asks for details on his suit, shirt, shoes.  He asks, “Red tie?” and has to fight a wave of arousal when her low hum of approval fills his otherwise empty room.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, totes short. My brain isn't functioning properly, but I wanted to post something to prove to myself that I haven't completely short-circuited. And besides, I needed yet another WIP. (wtf, me?)


	2. Seeking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William makes his way to Lizzie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.

William’s morning is a mess of meetings.  He is grateful that he is usually taken seriously in business settings; despite his relative youth, he radiates confidence when he presents Pemberley Digital.  He works with amazing people, doing amazing things, and that pride is evident when he discusses his company.  He and his new associates are able to easily come to agreement, and go out for a long lunch to celebrate their deal. 

His original plan allowed for an afternoon of meetings as well, but that proves unnecessary.   Where he had anticipated a solid day of planning and organizing and socializing, he finds himself freed into the bright San Antonio afternoon before 2 p.m.  He pulls out his phone to call his executive assistant.  He longs for the comfort of his own apartment, and requests that she book him on a flight home as early as possible. 

Two minutes later, as William opens the door to his rental car, he realizes the true freedom that he has with the rest of this day.  He laughs aloud as he redials his assistant, and tells her of his new plans.  He is almost at his hotel when she calls back, questioning his logic before reserving his plane seats.  It is ironic that the soonest and shortest flight from San Antonio to Fresno includes a 50 minute layover in San Francisco, but he tells her to go ahead and buy the tickets.

He packs his bags while talking to Lizzie.  He feels guilty for lying to her, but the expression on her face when he shows up at her house this evening will be worth the remorse.  Usually forthright to a fault, he stumbles as he fabricates an early morning meeting in San Francisco – a reason that he is required back home, a cause to keep him away from her.  As he has been nothing but honest to Lizzie, she accepts his lies… though he hears her gentle sigh of disappointment carrying over the wires.

 

After almost four hours in the air, he finds himself eating a quick sushi dinner while huddled over his laptop in San Francisco International Airport.  He is distracted by his excitement, by the knowledge that he will see Lizzie within the next couple of hours, and the work staring at him from his screen seems to make no sense.  He closes the computer and slides it into his carry-on bag; it is almost time to board his next flight. 

As he lofts the strap of his bag over his shoulder, he scans the crowd surging around him.  One small figure walking away from him, far in the distance, makes him falter.  He can make out little through the throngs of people, but a swatch of grey and black stripes and a swing of auburn tresses sets his step in that direction before his mind can catch up.  When it does catch up, he has already taken about ten steps in the woman’s direction, and he has to shake his head to clear the cobwebs. 

Sometimes William wonders if being in love with Lizzie is akin to having a disease – something that has set in and virulently inhabited his brain, altering the very content of his thought patterns.  As if it is not concerning enough that he thinks about her relentlessly, now he finds that he is visually refashioning her into a crowd of strangers.  He knows that the only cure to his illness is the actual, tangible presence of Lizzie, so he turns around and heads towards his terminal, towards the plane that will take him to her.

 

 

Lydia is the first to respond when he rings the doorbell at the Bennet’s home.  She stands there staring at him, mouth and door both agape, until he asks, “Can I come in? I’m here to surprise Lizzie.”

Lydia’s answer is to double over in laughter, clutching her abdomen and shaking her head.  He gives her a few minutes to recover.  After a few relapses, she is finally able to stand up straight and catch her breath enough to cackle out, “Lizzie’s not here!  She went to San Francisco to surprise you!” Lydia struggles with her composure for a millisecond before hunching forward in another fit of giggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I double-checked flight durations, so those should be somewhat accurate, but I am fudging actual flight times a bit. 
> 
> And, since (as far as I know) the creators have never given an exact spot for Lizzie’s hometown (“the exact city is in a small town somewhere south of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles”), my head canon puts the nearest major airport in Fresno. I don’t know much about California, haven’t been there since I was three, but I believe this is plausible.


	3. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William makes his way back to San Francisco, where Lizzie awaits him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.

Lydia eventually composes herself and ushers William into the house.  Before he can move past the foyer, however, Lydia extends her hand and demands, “Lemme see your phone.” 

William reluctantly hands it to her, and she scrolls through his phone book before calling Lizzie’s number.  Lizzie picks up quickly with a “Heeeeyyyy… so are you in San Francisco yet?”

“No, he’s not.  He’s here.  _In our house_.  Gawd, you dorks really need to work on this whole communicating thing.”

“ _LYDIA!_   Seriously, William’s there?” 

Lydia’s “Yep” is followed by a barrage of questions on Lizzie’s end.  Lydia shrugs at William and thrusts the phone back at him.  “I’ll go tell mom you’re here,” she tells him as he brings Lizzie’s voice up to his ear.

“Lizzie.” He interrupts.

“Hey.” He hears her take a deep breath and exhale slowly. “So, this is awkward.  What do we do now?”

He considers for a moment before responding, “Well, we have a few options.  I believe the best one is for me to try to catch the next flight there.”

Lizzie groans, “Oh, William, you’ve been on a plane most of the day!  Maybe I should be the one to fly back?”

“No. What is one more hour on an airplane at this point?”

“Then I’ll just stay put and wait to hear from you?”

“Yes. Where are you, specifically?”

“Let me give you a hint: dark blue walls – I’d call it, hmm, cadet blue?  Dark wood furniture, grey fabrics… very masculine.” 

“You-you’re in my bedroom?” William stammers out just as Lydia rounds a corner and re-enters the foyer.   She rolls her eyes at him, and then gestures at the open laptop that she is carrying. 

“There’s a flight out at ten-something-ish.  It’s all queued up, you just have to put in your info and credit card stuff.”

He shares this information with Lizzie, and they end their call as he follows Lydia into the dining room.  She nods to a chair, and plunks the computer down in front of him.  “Make it quick.  Mom will be in here in about three minutes with fresh strawberry shortcake.”

 

 

The sugar from dessert, along with the endless coffee that Mrs. Bennet kept pouring in his mug, gives William the boost he needs to stave off exhaustion during the one-hour flight home.   By the time the plane lands, and he climbs into the back of a waiting taxi, the stimulants are starting to wear off and he feels the day catching up to him.  A text from Lizzie pops up on his phone, _wanted to meet you at the airport but was afraid to cross paths again.  waiting here._

 

 

Save for a rusty yellow glow coming from his open bedroom door, the lights in his apartment are off when William enters at 11:47 p.m.  He hangs his keys on the hook by the door, and leaves his luggage where it sits.  _Now, Lizzie; later, unpack_ , his lethargic inner voice commands, and he directs his feet to move towards her.

He first notices Lizzie’s dress, draped on the end of the bed.  Black and grey stripes.  It _had_ been her at the airport.  He stores away a quick mental chastisement and reminder to trust his gut instinct more often; he trusts it in business, and needs to listen to it in matters of the heart as well.

A swoop of dark red over a pillow is all that is visible of Lizzie.  William eases down next to the slight swell in the comforter, and runs his hand through her hair.  She moans and stretches as her face emerges from under the blanket. 

“I didn’t intend to fall asleep, truly.  Your bed is just too comfy… and it smells like you,” she mutters in a bleary, sleep-tempered voice. She leans up and over and drapes an arm around his neck. “I’m so sorry about all of this.  I just wanted to see you today.”

“I understand.  Obviously, I felt the same.”

“What time is it?  Is it still our ‘anniversary?’”

William runs the back of his fingers along Lizzie’s jawbone.  “Barely.  For a few more minutes, only.”

“We should make the most of those few minutes, then…” Lizzie pulls him down to meet his lips with her own.  She breaks the kiss as she threads her fingers into the knot of his red tie, loosening and then undoing it.  “I have wanted to do that all day,” she whispers as she caresses her fingertips on his neck.

“Lizzie.  _Lizzie._ ” He clasps her hands and pulls back slightly.  “I have spent the day traveling in a suit.  I would feel much more _myself_ if you would give me the opportunity to take a shower before you have your wicked way with me.”  Lizzie nods, but he sees the start of a cheeky smile and the naughty glint in her eyes.  “However, I would not be… _opposed_ … if you chose to join me there…”

Her grin breaks as she slides out from under the covers and starts walking towards the bathroom, stark naked.  William watches the view, until she turns around in the bathroom doorway.  “You coming?” she asks.  He scrambles up and rushes to meet her.

Even though their celebration is slightly belated, both parties remember their first month-versary as a rousing success.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and cue sexy shower times! I never intended for this to be a smutty fic, so you will just have to use your imaginations if you want to know what happens next! (Is that mean of me?)


End file.
